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Monday, January 30, 2012

I took Penny and Ratchet to Petsmart today just to get out of the house. We walked around for a bit and visited with several other customers; mostly people that stopped me wanting to know what kind of dog Ratchet was and to pet him. The place was pretty dead so after about 20 minutes we had talked to everyone in the store. I have always thought it was cute when people put bows on their dogs ears and wanted to see if I could do that to Penny. The fur on her head is pretty short so I was skeptical but we went for it anyway. The lady at the Petsmart grooming shop thought Penny was "so pretty" and gave me the bows for free. Here is the end result!

I was surprised that Penny didn't scratch them out immediately but she just sat there like a good girl. I took her picture immediately because I knew my fortune would be short lived. She didn't even seem to notice them and napped in the car on the way home. I opened the door to let her and Ratchet in the house and told her to, "go show daddy how pretty you are!" and she bee lined to the living room to where Brett was sitting and put her paws in his lap. He fussed over her and told her how cute she was and then she promptly hopped down and scratched one of the bows out. The other one only lasted as long as it took her to go outside and probably eat it.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

My husband and I went out to lunch at Texas Roadhouse with a few friends. Ratchet went along for the ride and sat in the car while we went inside to eat. Afterward we were standing around in the parking lot saying our goodbyes and I went to get Ratchet out of the car to meet Tony, our out of town friend who would soon be leaving again. As soon as he saw Ratchet this 6' 6", 200 lb rough and tumble native New Yorker became a little kid again. His face lit up in a smile as bright as high noon in the desert. Tony just kept saying over and over,"Oh you are so beautiful! You are so beautiful!" Then he opened up his doggy bag containing his lunch leftovers of sirloin steak kabobs and started feeding them to Ratchet. That hound thought he had died and gone to heaven because he rarely ever gets people food, much less steak! Tony finally just held the plate down for Ratchet to just have at it and have at it he did. We all had a big laugh at them carrying on together. I told Tony that I think he is now Ratchet's new favorite "Uncle".

It never ceases to amaze me the joy that even a brief encounter with a dog can bring to a persons life. Last year I took Ratchet with me to a large event at the civic center that hosted hundreds if not thousands of people. I lost count at how many people stopped me to ask me what kind of dog he was and if they could pet him. Even people just passing by could not help but smile when they saw him. The best part was as we were leaving one of the ladies that was helping at the event asked if she could pet Ratchet. She squatted down in front of him and hugged him tightly and just went on and on about how sweet he was. When she was done petting Ratchet she thanked me and said she had been feeling down and after she had seen him it had made her happy again.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

As I sit here typing I am surrounded, quite literally by dogs. Before I will be able to get up from my chair I will have to nudge my 80 lb Guardian Angel behind me to wake up so that I can push my chair away from the desk. Then the task will be to extract my feet from underneath Riggs, the 40 lb black bundle, lying under my desk. The smallest of the pack, Dixie, the only one of single digit poundage, is curled up in the basket of laundry and doesn't even twitch a whisker as I stroke her back in in passing. Gaining entrance to my bedroom requires a bit of sweet talk, an ear scratch, a hug and a kiss on the snout for my 100 lb teddy bear. (Ok all I really had to do was say "Ratchet, move", all that other stuff was for me.) And what should I find but a 40 lb chocolate blob with the consistency of greased jello, sprawled indecently across my side of the bed. Belly rubbing ensues, along with more snout kisses. Penny yawns and grunts as I pick her up for one last cuddle and move her to the foot of the bed next to the purring puddle of Pete (the Barn Cat). Meelah the Russian Sniper Kitty, the only one not accounted for, is probably outside getting ready to annihilate some unsuspecting creature. After tucking into my side of the bed, Penny snuggles against my legs and Pete makes his way up to curl up by my side (or on my chest if I am lying on my back) and I drift to sleep to the lullaby of a content cat. I rest peacefully knowing that my loyal guardians are watching over me.